Protective cigarette holder



Oct. 25, 1938.

F. SKIDMORE PROTECTIVE CIGARETTE HOLDER Original Filed June so, 1952 INVENTORQ BY E ATTORNEY I Patented Oct. 25, 1938 I Q Q Q -mED- mcc PATENT- O C -i w Frank Skidmore, Oakland, Calif., assignor, by 1 direct and mesne assignments, of one-third to 3 Antonio G; Tassano, Oakland, Calif. and 'onethird to Richard O'Hara-, -Alameda, Calif.

Application June 30,1932, Serial in. 620,237 Renewed May 25, .1936

8 Claims. (Cl. 131-,18 6) The invention relates to a device as disclosed of the blank shown inFlgure i, and positioned on in my copending application Serial No. 585,911, a cigarette before smoking.

filed January 11, 1932, designed 'to provide an in- Figure '7 is a perspective view of the modified dividual protective container for a cigarette before formof holder disposed as theholder in-Figure2, use and to serve as a holder and mouthpiece for As illustrated in the drawing, the holder of my 5 the cigarette in smoking. i i invention, is in the form of a covering 2 of a An object-of the invention is to provide a holder moisture-proof or oil sheet-paper, cloth, or the of the character described, which, while retainlike, and formed of ablank as shown in Figure 3 'ing the form and size of the cigarette, is. so into a permanent generallycylindrically shaped 10 designed and constructed that should the cigarette member as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The cover- 10 be rested on'a supporting surface while lighted, 8. is preferably almost, the full length.of contact between the surface and the ignited end cigarette 3 ut w i t is d si ed to be d sof the cigarette will be prevented. posed and. the inner diameter of the cover-.

Another objectv of the invention is to provide m8 S f 8 large Po tion of the length theremeans affording the advantage aforesaid, which of of less than the normal externa die-mete! 0f 15 is in the form of a portion of the holder and so the cigarette 50 th wh n the letter i i p arranged that when not operatively disposed its Within the holder the cigarette will e compressed 7 presence will not be apparent or felt. transversely and firmly held therein. This com- A further object of the invention is toprovide 'p ess 'of t e vcigarette a e possible the use a holder of the character described which may of a v n w os t rdiam t s p a ti a 20 be made in one size and yet perfectly fitted for X10 er: than 311811.05 Cigarette wh n Withcigarettes of different thickness. eut'the he eri'andm is manner e Cigarette A still further object" of "the invention is to including h ve willrbe c ree a e provide a holder with the aforementioned feacigarette a1cne. and therefore may-be positioned tures in which the means for adapting the holder in the usual cigarette P i h in the least 25 for fit with different sized cigarettes is combined decreasing the cigarette carrying capacity of with the means for supporting the cigarette in a the-Package i manner which considerably facilitates the operawhen the covering 15 YP d ti've positioning of said last means. the cigarette, one end of the cigarette and of the The invention possesses other objects and feacovering are eotermihous While a the other d 30 tures of advantage, some of which, with the forethe V is just shm't enough to leave u going, will be set forth inthe following descrlpcieht of thecigaretter exposed to perm? gripping tion of the preferred form'of the invention which by fingers for effecting extraction from the o ris illustrated in the drawing accompanying and The covering instead 0f being perfehuy 35 forming part of the specification. It isto be lihdricalv is preferably taperedisee Figure 41 from 35 understood, however, that variations in the showlarger In to a Smaller end 1 with the larger ing made by the aid drawing and de cription diameter greater'than of the cigarette to may be adopted within the scope f the invem permit of the ready insertion of the cigarette in tion as Set f rthi the claims v t the holder through the end it), and with the 40 Referring to said drawing: v smaller diameter of the holder appreciably less 6 Figure 1 is a perspective View of theholder than that of the cigarette so as to effect the demy invention as disposed on a cigarette, in a creased thickness of the cigarette as aforesaid for package or case. I atgreaftetrhpokil'tilgan offl its lengtlg ithe smgller disengv e er 0 e 0 er, owever, e ng suc asno 0 that in; iigiizi izziitzzitair; a: move-mete gsupportmg surfac I .oflaggge iraiffthteeliiold lefl irti githelij'lflzitilregtion wien Figure 3 1s f h vifiw of the blankwlth the constriction at an end 1 thereof may be readily which the hcflder f ef provided at the time the covering is .rolled into 0 Figure 4 1S elohgltudlhal sectiohel ,Vlew of form, by causing one end of the cover member to the holder andcl arette as arran Figure be rolled in advance of the other. The covering Figure 5 is 'a' view similar to Figure 3 Of a mayberolled into form while the cigarette is conblank fo a somewhat d design of tained therein, and maintained-in such form by holder; the use of adhesive between contacting faces of Figure 6 is aside view of the holder'as formed the covering, or the coverlngmay be formed separately and the cigarette thereafter inserted, preferably through the larger end In of the covering which is adapted for use as a mouthpiece and extended through the smaller end of the cover for a distance sufficient to permit lighting or grasping.

It will now be clearthat with the covering thus held over the cigarette, the latter'may be disposed practically entirely within the covering as illustrated in Figurel, or it may be held therein with by far the greater portion of thecigarette protruding from the end I of the covering, as illustrated in Figure 2. The paper or other ma: terial of which the covering is made, is of such character that the covering will be substantially form retaining. In this manner when the cigarette'is extended as last mentioned, the covering may serve as a very efllcient holder or mouthpiece for the cigarette, and preferably the paper or material aforesaid is transparent or translucent so that the extent of the cigarette within the covering may be ascertained at a glance. The latter feature is desirable in that it enables the smoker to withdraw the cigarette sufliciently to allow its substantially complete consumption while at all times held firmly in the covering. As previously noted in the use of the covering with the cigarette extended for smoking, the latter is drawn out through the smaller end 1 of the covering so that the most effective grip'aflorded between the covering and cigarette will be maintained regardless of the position of the cigarette in the covering. The covering is also quite thin as well as snug-fitting, so that when positioned over the cigarette its own thickness will not materially increase the diameter of the latter. Preferably the material of which the covering is formed is non-inflammable so'that should the smoker carlessly throw away the lighted cigarette while still lighted and partially unconsumed, the cigarette will invariably stop burning as soon as the ignited portion reaches the covering.- In this way the fire hazard caused by the discarding of lighted cigarettes will begreatly decreased.

Since as aforesaid the holder is arranged. to snugly fit the cigarette, and a there is usually a variation in the thickness of the diflerent cigarettes on the market; means are provided on the holder whereby one size of holder is adapted for use with cigarettes of different thicknesses. This is effectively accomplished by forming a portion of the holder partly yielding or resilient as by longitudinally slitting the narrow end I of the holder preferably at a plurality of circumferentially spaced points. These slits 8' define yield-' ing segments 9 which serve to resiliently engage the sides of the cigarette so as to permit of a cigarette of smaller or larger diameter to be readily accommodated in theholder and retained therein with a like firm grip. -In the present instance three slits are provided, but it is obvious that any number of slits may be used.

Means are provided as part of the holder, for enabling the lighted cigarette when .contained in the holder, to be rested on a supporting surface without danger of burning or marring such surface. This means in the present'embodiment of the invention is'oi extremely simple form and comprises atongue l2 extending longitudinally from and in conformity with the holder at the end! in such manner that inits inoperative position it will lie against the side of the cigarette in the same manner as the contiguous portions of the holder. The tongue I! is preferably of a width about equal to the diameter of the holder thereat. and has provided at the juncture thereof with the main body of the holder a scored or other weakened line I; so that when desired the tongue may be readily bent outwardly to a position more or less at right angles to the axis oi the holder. It will be evident that with the tongue in the angular position aforesaid, the holder may be rested on a surface such as a table top or the like, by contact therewith of the large end I0 of the holder and the forward edge ll of the tongue. In this manner the smaller end I of the holder will be held in an elevated position, and thus with'the cigarette in the holder the ,lighted end of the cigarette will be held free and clear of the surface aforesaid and any damage or'burning of said surface by contact with the burning tobacco will be avoided. It will thus be clear that the holder of my device provides a considerable safety factor in the smoking of the cigarette. As a means of strengthening the tongue, the blank of which the holder is made. is preferably formed wide enough to provide at the end I an overlap along the longitudinal edges equal at least to the width of the tongue, and as clearlyshown in Figure 3 a tongue portion. is provided on each of the overlapping parts sothat when the blank is rolled up the tongue will be formed of a double thickness of'the material comprising the holder. In order to facilitate the ready bending ofthe tongue, the side edges thereof are aligned with, the slits I, thus making the tongue in this embodiment as,an extension of one of the segments 9. A band ii at the larger end of the holder serves not only. as a convenient mouthpiece but as an eifective. reenforcement for the holder.

In the somewhat modified form of the holder 2' illustrated in Figures 4 to 6, a-tongue I2 is provided at the outer end of each segment 8'. with this arrangement when eachtongue is bent outward, a circular extension is in eifect provided so that the spacing of the lighted end of the cigarette will be assured -regardlessof the position in which the holder. is rested on;the supporting surface. p i

Iclaim:,.---

1. In an individual, protective covering and holder for a cigarette,-a sleevetapered uniformly from one end to the other and having its opening-rat the larger and smaller ends of greater and lesser diameter respectively than the normal diameter of the cigarette, the portion of the sleeve at and adjacent the smaller end being provided with slits extending longitudinally inwardly from said end,-thereby rendering said smaller end resiliently expansible. I

2. In an individual holder for a cigarette as characterized in claim 1 wherein a portion of said sleeve intermediate adjacent slits is designed to be moved from a position resiliently pressing against said cigarette to a position to hold said end spaced from a supporting surface when the sleeve is rested thereon."

3. In an individual holder fora cigarette. a sleeve of flexible material arranged to have the cigarette inserted therein, and means formed as a part of said sleeve adjacent an end thereof arranged in one position to lie flat against the side of and resiliently grip the cigarette and in another positiont o be extended outward at substantially right angles from the side of the cigarette wherebyon resting the holder by said means said end may be spaced iromthe supporting surface.

4. In an individual holder for a cigarette, a

substantially cylindrical sleeve formed of a flexible material and having one end longitudinally slitted at transverse points to provide a resilient- 1y expansible end portion and at the same time to define a tongue, said tongue normally engaginglthe sides of the cigarette along substantially the entire inner surface of the tongue and being arranged to be bent angularly outwardat substantially right angles from its normal position to form a support for the holder.

5. In an individual holder for a cigarette, a substantially cylindrical sleeve of flexible material and formed with a portion thereof of a double thickness of said material, said tube being tapered from substantially one end to the other with the smaller and larger ends respectively of lesser and greater diameter than the normal diameter of the cigarette, the portion of the sleeve at the smaller end being slitted longitudinally to define circumferentially aligned segments, one of said segments being disposed at said portion of double thickness and extended longitudinally of the sleeve to define a tongue arranged to lie against the sides of the cigarette and'capable of being bent outwardly transversely of the sleeve to define a means of spacing the adjacent end of the sleeve from a supporting surface when the sleeve is rested there- 6. In a, cigarette holder 01' the character described, a sleeve positionable about a cigarette and having one end longitudinally slitted' at transverse points to define a plurality of tongues arranged to resiliently and expansibly gripsaid cigarette, one of said tongues being longer than the other tongues and arranged for bending in a radially outward direction from the sleeve to form a support for the holder.

7. In a cigarette holder of the character described, a sleeve positionable about a cigarette and having one end longitudinally slitted at transverse points to define a plurality of tongues arranged to resiliently and expansibly grip said cigarette, one of said tongues being longer than and extended from the ends of the other tongues and adapted to be bent outwardly from the cigarette along a line in substantial alignment with the other tongue ends to form a support for the holder.

8. In a cigarette holder of'the'character de-- scribed, a sleeve positionable over a cigarette and formed of flexible material with a portion thereof of a double thickness of said material,

said portion being arranged adjacent an end of i said sleeve for bending outward transversely of the sleeve to define a means of spacing saidsleeve end from a supporting surface when the sleeve is rested thereon.

' mam: sKmMoRa so 

